Started in 2018, when we received our first 3D Printer through equipment funding at SU, the aim of the lab is to produce low-cost physical representations of the medical imaging of our patient’s anatomy to aid the planning and preparation of complex orthopaedic procedures. 

• The lab has produced models for 39 clinical cases, some being commissioned by outside surgeons in private practice across the country as well as one veterinary case.

• In collaboration with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBE) the lab was the basis of a Master’s degree research project in 2020-2021 and internship positions are being offered to biomedical engineers on an ongoing basis. 

• Income for the lab is made possible by the creation of Service Level Agreement (SLA) contracts, through the Faculty of Engineering. Surgeons in private practice and industry partners can now pay for consultation, design and manufacturing of models into the lab’s own cost point.